Armor-plate.



No. 65|,800. Patented June I2, |900. A. F. GUSTAFSN.

ARMOR PLATE.

(Application filed Jan, G, 1898.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ADOLF F. GUSTAFSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FIFTIETII TO DAVID HARPER FOREMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ARMOR-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,800, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed January 6, 1898. Serial No. 665,753. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ zoll/0711, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF F. GUSTAESON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Armor-Plate and Defensive Warfare Structures; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters andv figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My invention relates to improvements in armor-plate and defensive warfare constructions; and it consists of the features hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

The construction of my improved armorplate is entirely new so far as I am aware and is a radical departure from the construction of existing materials belonging to this class of invention. It is designed for the protection of war vessels, fortifications, and all similar or like structures designed to resist the force of powerful projectiles. To this end my improved armor-plate consists of a woven-wire fabric possessing the properties of maximum tensile fibrous strength combined with elastic resistance, making the material entirely free from the possibility of fracture. In other words, a projectile may have sufficient force to tear or cut this fabric, but it cannot break or crack it. Hence any damage done will necessarily be confined Within a very limited area.

The expense of a plant of given capacity for manufacturing my improved woven-wire armor-plate is much less than is required for producing armor-plate of ordinary construction.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a general plan view of the Woven-wire armor fabric, showing also the method of making the particular weave employed. Fig. 2 is an edge view or side elevation of the same, showing a portion of the weft or crossing Wires in section. Fig. 3 is a detail section illustrating two or more layers of thefabric secured together by traverse cable-rivets.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

In my woven fabric both the weft or crossing wires and the warp or longitudinal wires are made up of, say, twenty or more steelwire strands of a diameter of about No.32 American standard wire gage, each strand of which is separately coated with a suitable covering to prevent the steel wire from oxidation. These strands are then connected by a uniform twist, forming weft and warp ropes of about live-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, which when woven four double, as shown in Fig. 2, produce a metallic fabric of about one and one-half inches in thickness and of any desired width and length, depending upon the capacity ofthe weaving mechanism.

The mechanism for producing this wovenwire armor fabric forms no part of this application and will not be referred to in detail further than is necessary in describing the peculiar construction of the fabric.

The armor-plate may be made of any desired thickness by binding together a sufficient number of layers of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 3. A

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the warp-wires are numbered consecutively l, 2, 3, and et and in the Weaving operation are each controlled by their corresponding heddles l, 2h, 3h; and 4h. Two layers of Wefts-an upper and a lower-are used, formed by the crossing or weaving wires 5 and 6, and are carried alternately across the upper and lower shed or opening of the weave formed by the heddles and Warps by the weaving-arms 7 and 8. Upon the ends of these arms are mounted grooved friction-pulleys 7a and 8, around which are looped the respective weft-wires 5 and 6 when the arms are making the transverse-thrust movement by which the cross-weft is formed, the weft-wires being dealt out under proper tension from suitable reels. (Not shown.) It

will be seen in Fig. l that the weaving-arms are of sufficient length relatively to the width of the bolt of fabric being Woven to carry the weft-wire through and beyond the edges far IOO enough to form upon the loop end of the weft- Wire a succession of loops 5a and 62 o n both edges of the bolt, while upon the respective entering sides are formed binders or selvageties 5b and 6b. By this method of forming the weft-loops all wefts are necessarily double strands Within the body of the Weaving, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the weaving-arm 7 is shown to be in the upper shed or opening and the arm 8 in thelower shed. As a result of this alternating movement of the arms 7 and 8 a diagonal selvage binder or tie is formed, crossing from the upper to thelower weft-layer, and vice versa, as shown in Fig. 2. A corresponding alternated position of the loops 5 and 6a is also effected. The object in alternating the loop ends on the edges of the fabric is to facilitate the close lacing of one section of fabric to another when applying the armor. These sections are securely and tightly laced by the rmethod illustrated in Fig. 1, when the double crossing steel-wire laces 9 and 10 are shown passing over,throu gh, and under the alternately-overlapping meshing weft-loops of the adjoining sections of fabric. These laces are securelysoldered into each and every loop through which they pass, thus making a seam of the initial strength and thickness of the woven body, giving to the entire armor-covering as applied to the vessel substantially an integral layer of uniform strength and thickness throughout. Similar loops are formed by the warp-wires upon the end of the bolt of fabric, as shown at 1a, 2, 3, and 4,where they are fastened to the beam in the weaving mechanism. Theseloops can be utilized in lacing the sections end to end. Upon the opposite or warp-beam end of the completely-woven bolt of fabric, where the warp-wires are cut, the ends are bent or twisted into engagement one with the other and securely soldered together, as shown at 1, 2, 3", and 4th.

In order to conform to the exterior surface of the vessel to be covered, it is sometimes necessary to weave the edges of the bolts in increasing or diminishing angles. This can be done by cutting or dropping out one or more of the Warp-wires, depending upon the required angle of the edge of the fabric. This cut end of the 'Warp-wire is securely soldered to the adjoining weft, as is illustrated at 2C and 4C, Fig. 1. By governing the transverse thrust of the weaving-arms 7 and S to accord with the angle of such fabric edge both the weft and loops can be formed upon such angular edges, as shown at 5, Fig. 1.

Two or more layers of thiswoven fabric to any number desiredv are securely bound or cable-riveted together by the method illustrated in Fig. 3. Holes are punched through the fabric, as shown at 11, layer A, of a somewhat-larger diameter on each side of the fabric than the binding-cablev rivets 12. The cables being inserted, the wire-strand ends are spread open, forming a tuft, as shown at 15, which occupies the enlarged opening in the side of the fabric: This space is filled with any suitable soldering compound and the tufted mass hammered into the same, forming an upset head upon the end of the cable-rivet 12, as shown at 13. The enlarged openings on the other side of the layer A around the cable-rivets 12 are also filled with the soldering compound. In this way each and every successive layer of fabric A B C, duc., is separately soldered to each and every cable-rivet 12, as shown at 14, throughout the section and to the outside or finishing layer of armor fabric, as at C. The ends of the cable are soldered and upset, as above described and shown at 13. I desire tuo call special attention to this method of joining armorfabric sections by employing steel cable-lacings and also by connecting successive layers of the armor fabric by the use of cable-rivets separately and unitedly soldered to each and all of the layers so connected, since this particular construction forms an important feature of my invention, enabling me to retain thereby to a uniform maximum degree the feature of elasticity in construction and a fibrous strength of material far in excess of what might be secured in using steel bolts for these purposes, as is the usual practice in joining armor-plate sections.

The outer layer only of the woven-wire armor fabric before being applied is subjected to a process of being completely coated with any suitable substance on both sides to an extent that will completely ill up all the irregular cavities and uneven-woven surfaces, making both sides thereof smooth and even and rendering the layer of fabric so treated impervious to water.

Numerous changes, both as to details of construction and manner of using my invention, may be made without departing from the spirit of the same. For instance, I do not limit myself to the particular style of weave shown and described nor to the exact manner of assembling successive layers of the same, since necessary changes may be required in adapting the fabric to particular local conditions and requirements.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. A woven metal fabric for use as armorplate, consisting of a warp and weft coinposed of wire ropes or cables woven to leave exposed loops on one or more edges, said loops being formed of the warp or weft strands as the case may be, the said loops lying al ternately in the planes of the two surfaces of the fabric, whereby the sections may be laced together to form a substantially-integral fabric.

2. A Woven metal fabric composed of' two or more sections, each section having its warp and weft composed of wire ropes or cables woven to leave exposed loops on the adjacent edges of the sections, the loops projecting a1- ternately in the planes of the two surfaces,

loo

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and Wire-rope laces passing through the loops and connecting the sections to form a substantially-integral fabric.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, an armor-plate consisting of a plurality of layers of woven metal fabric united by means of Wire-cable rivets.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, an armor-plate consisting of a plurality of layers of woven metal fabric united by Wire rope or cable rivets passing through coinciding apertures formed in the said layers, the apertures being enlarged and the rivets being soldered to each layer of the fabric.

5. As an improved article of manufacture an arm or-plate consisting of a plurality of layers of Woven metal fabric suitably connected, the outer layer being coated With any suitable substance on both sides to an extent that Will completely fill up all irregular cavities and uneven-woven surfaces making both sides thereof smooth and even and rendering the layer of fabric impervious to Water.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ADOLF F. GUSTAFSON.

Witnesses:

IsHAM R. HOWZE, EDITH HIMsWoRTH. 

